Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Good Reading

If you're into reading true tales of the South, check out the book corner at Carter Drug Co. in downtown Selma. Here are just two of many shelves stocked with good books. There's a whole section filled with local and regional books, including the new edition of Alabama: One Big Front Porch by Selma author and storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham. (I showed you my original, worn copy recently.)

Then, imagine my surprise when Smilnsigh of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., informed me that she recently ordered "Miss Kathryn's" book from Amazon after reading about it on this blog, and on Tuesday, she posted a picture of it on her blog. (Hope you are enjoying it, Smilnsigh!)

You can listen to "Miss Kathryn" tell her stories in person at the Alabama Tale Tellin' Festival Oct. 10 and 11. That's the same weekend as Riverfront Market Day and the unveiling of the butterfly sculptures.

Now, look closely at the book on the left side of the top shelf...House of Abraham. That's a book about Abe Lincoln's (both the president and the Brookville, Ohio, blogger) Confederate kin...or rather his wife's kin. Some of the Todds lived in Selma during the "War of Northern Aggression, and they sure weren't Yankees! This book tells the story of Lincoln's "House Divided."



9 comments:

Pappy said...

Looks like some interesting reading to me. Thanks for sharing. Pappy

Jim Klenke said...

I bet she has some great stories in the book.

Marie Reed said...

These sound marvelous! I'm going to Amazon, A House divided right now!

Sandi McBride said...

I spent many a quiet afternoon in Carter Drug co...we lived in the old two story two family house at the end of Alabama Ave, the one that was supposed to be haunted...oh yes, it was haunted! The ghost in the house saved my infant son (who is now the Editor of the local paper here)from certain injury when he took what could have been an awful tumble down the steps. We lived on the right side of the house, which was two story...but my son kept "talking" to someone at the top of the stairs, and sorry to say, I was a bit nervous about it...we then moved over into the lovely apartment on the right side of the house...my husband was the Navy Recruiter there and his family was originally from there. Selma is a beautiful little city...
Sandi

Sandi McBride said...

Opps, the left side of the house which was two story...lol...and also, have loads of Miss Kathryn's books...I did love her!
Sandi

Janet said...

Good morning! Thanks for visiting.

Jim, the book begins with a story about the night that stars fell on Alabama (Nov. 13, 1833). Others include the Marquis de Lafayette's visit to the state, a law-breaking sheriff in Sumter County, and Selma's legend of the Lady Banksia Rose, plus many more!

Sandi, so nice to meet you! Very interesting about your son's fall and encounter with a ghost!
Thanks for your comments.

Jilly said...

Can't resist photos of books and these look to be good reading. So many good southern authors in America - Eudora Welty being my favourite.

smilnsigh said...

Oh yes, and I'd love the opportunity to listen to her. Just look at the photo! Doesn't she look like a lady you would love to get to know? :-) And she surely is called "Miss Kathryn."

And now you have more book ideas. :-)

And my Net pal Sandi came by too, with what she has to tell, about your lovely city.

Thank you so much for mentioning that I got the book, after becoming enamoured by it, on your blog.

Miss Mari-Nanci
Smilnsigh
Photos-City-Mine

Rose said...

Thank you for posting this post--looks like I have some books to look for at the library. I don't know how I missed your earlier post, but I did. I check your blog daily, or thought I did. Oh, well, at least you have mentioned it again.

When I go home to TN, one of the things I like to do is check the bookstores for local books like these. Or when I go to almost any park that has a visitor's center, I like to check out the local flavor. Somehow or other, it rings more true than some of the more popular books.